Case Studies

These case studies provide examples of how businesses have utilised the valuable insights contained in our psychometric assessments and other products.

Lack of Self-Confidence or Something Else?

One of the powerful features of Extended DISC reporting is its ability to identify emotional issues.

Anyone who has attended Extended DISC training will be aware of the range of key feelings and emotions we can identify from the interpretation
of the two profiles in Extended DISC and FinxS behavioural assessments. However, now and again we are asked for further clarification on the
more unusual profiles.

Selection of Project Managers in a Large International Company

Have your candidates/team members completed a Lead & Manage DISC Assessment? What do you do now?This is a good example of how a behavioural
style DISC Assessment can be used successfully to identify and select Leaders and Managers in a large organisation.

Why Shouldn’t You Prep Your New Recruit on the Extended DISC® Process?

A recent telephone conversation, with one of our recruitment clients, reminded me of a classic example of why you shouldn’t explain the Extended
DISC Process.

In a recruitment situation, it is especially important not to explain to the candidate the behavioural style the organisation is looking for in
a new recruit before he/she completes a behavioural assessment.

Open 360° Feedback Assessments® - A tool for Leadership Development

This months case study demonstrates the power of Open 360° Feedback Assessments® in Leadership Development. A large New Zealand owned company incorporated
an Open 360° into their Leadership Development program and identified a huge problem with one of their departments. Once some work had been
done with the department, the company noticed an increase in productivity, and revenue.

The amazing capability of Extended DISC Behavioral Analysis Reports

This month we have a case study that happened a couple of weeks ago so we will obviously be careful to keep the actual circumstances confidential.
However, there is a lesson in the experience that demonstrates just how perceptive the reports really are and just how insightful they can
be if fully understood. The outcome, without obtaining a behavioural report, could have been disastrous.

Classic case of recruitment without Behavioural Analysis

It’s a classic case of recruitment based on a thorough and professional process. The recruiter did all the necessary homework, overlooking just
one important aspect, the individual’s natural behavioural style.

The strange thing about this case is the recruitment agency uses behavioural analysis in recruiting their own staff but choose to rely on their
client’s preference in the use of psychometric tools and regrettably many do not want the expense.

"Under Pressure"

We have reprinted an article written by our longstanding friend and associate, Markku Kaupinen, the President of Extended DISC North America. Markku
is an expert in Extended DISC methodology and established EDNA some twenty years ago. His message has some practical advice for us all!

Culture Difference

One of our affiliates asked whether cultural differences influenced the outcome of Behavioural Reports, and specifically when comparing, for example,
a D style in Germany with a D style in an Asian culture.

Lessons in leadership from the All Blacks

We have reproduced a summary of an excellent article written by Bruce Cotterill who will be known to many. Bruce is a five-time chief executive,
company director and keynote speaker who advises business leaders on leadership, performance improvement, management and governance. Read his
blogs at www.brucecotterill.com.

We hope our Australian friends will forgive the fact that the article is titled Lessons in leadership from the All Blacks, but the “lessons” are
very relevant to businesses, both large and small.

Workplace stress and its cause

We reflect on a classic case of a stressed manager who was employed in a role that simply didn’t suit his natural behavioural style. We realise
that this isn’t something new, but we hear of this situation arising frequently.

This case study relates to the motor vehicle industry but it could well apply to any business.

Dysfunctional Sales Team

This month we look how the FinxS Team Report helped identify the reasons for poor performance and unhappy team members. This team faced some real challenges caused fundamentally by the downturn in demand for its products caused through aggressive competition. While sales are buoyant, it is easy to overlook weaknesses but when sales become difficult to achieve, then gaps in the system will widen.

We provide some information about invalid reports. Extended DISC and FinxS have a built-in validity check and will not produce reports that are unreliable. In addition to this feature, the consistency of answering is measured and it is possible to identify reports that might be suspect.

A consultant who has been using Extended DISC for many years told me of a case that is reminiscent of a situation we have encountered in the past.
This particular incident has always remained in my memory as it involved a legal firm who had been going through considerable change during
the recession some years ago.

It is an illustration of the value of using behavioural analysis to identify issues that might otherwise be suppressed by an individual.

How an accounting firm almost lost a client. . .

A few weeks ago I was speaking to an accountant that I had originally met during my years in practice as a chartered accountant. Let’s call
him John.

John had always been rather sceptical as to the value of behavioural analysis to the accounting profession probably because, like me when I
first was exposed to the methodology, I couldn’t see a place for it in an accounting practice apart from using the tools for staff engagement.
For this reason it really only became part of the firm’s recruitment process.

All that has now changed, and gradually the professions (not just the accounting profession…..) are beginning to utilise some of the
processes available in providing value added resources for clients.

Is that really me?

We look at a process used by a business coach we supply that is a little different from the normal procedure. He is quite definite that his
clients gain more from the process than simply sending them their report and setting a time to meet for a debrief.

This particular coach has been very successful in using our FinxS Online Platform in a process that involves Surveys, Open 360 and Behavioural
Analysis but he tells us that his debriefing method has helped avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretation of the behavioural reports
in particular.

How a Behavioural report could have saved a costly HR mistake

When individuals are placed in roles that don’t suit their behavioural style, the impact on performance can be profound.

We revisit a case that illustrates the importance of considering behavioural styles in the selection of individuals for promotion into roles
that are different from a role in which they may well have excelled. There is no guarantee that because a person performs well in one role,
that they will succeed in another with different challenges.

Understanding the reasons for changes in Behavioural Reports

A recent experience by one of our resellers has reminded us of another similar incident that happened some time ago.

It is seldom that we encounter a significant change in the unconscious behaviour of an individual within a relatively short period of time.
Nevertheless we need to understand the possible reasons and know how to deal with such an issue when it arises.

Some 18 months ago, Harvard Business Review magazine published an interesting research article on the effectiveness of different management
styles. The research covered a population of 160,576 employees and 30,661 managers and the objective of the study was to determine what
style of management produced the most engaged, productive employees. The outcome was not surprising to us but we hope you will find the
results interesting.

The use of Extended DISC reports in the due diligence process

We look at a costly exercise involving a consultant who was engaged after a business was purchased. It demonstrates the importance of understanding
a going concern’s personnel by obtaining meaningful reports available through Extended DISC and FinxS methodology during the due diligence
process.

Leading accounting firms understand the importance of recognising the strengths and weaknesses of people who hold key roles in organisations,
and especially management personnel, in the due diligence process. Extended DISC reports provide this information and additional valuable
insights that simply cannot be recognised through simply meeting individuals during the purchase process. The cost of neglecting this aspect
of a going concern due diligence process can be significant.

By taking advantage of the flexibility of our FinxS platform, we have designed a report that assists school leavers and anyone who might contemplate
changing their vocation. We have named it a Vocational Aptitude Report and it is designed to be used by career advisors at any level. We
have further tailored the report for a New Zealand consultant (not just branding but also content) and can further modify the report to
concentrate on the specific focus of consultants who specialise in advising career paths.

The use of the FinxS platform in providing integrated diagnostic reports for consultants

Since 1994, when the Extended DISC Persona Management System was released, we have provided a simple Work Pair Analysis Report which compares
the behaviour of two individuals. Our FinxS Online Platform has enabled us to take this report to a new level through the formatting flexibility
of the program.

Even more importantly, once the two individuals concerned have completed the online questionnaire, and obtained behavioural reports, the Work
Pair reports are free.

The importance of the Extended DISC/FinxS Behavioural Report in effective Job Fit

We look at a case study that was reported to us some time ago, but it is as relevant today as it was when we were first told about it. It is
always a challenge for an individual to work outside their comfort zone and this case is a good example of the problems that are created
when people are appointed to roles that do not suit their style.

Our FinxS online platform enables us to create reports that are focused on the precise requirements of specific assignments. Format and content
can be designed to the requirements of consultants/managers and often a few pages will provide all that is required. For this reason, bigger
may not always be better and FinxS reports can be as detailed or simple as required.

Bill is a manager of a large retail outlet and reports direct to the organisation’s general manager. He is responsible for the overall
administration of the store which employs some fifty employees ranging from department managers through to administration staff and he
has struggled to become effective as a popular manager.

Initially he had difficulty in dealing with relationships within the store as he was naturally a competitive, decisive and goal-oriented individual.
He soon realised the importance of softening his behaviour to become more tolerant and by paying attention to other people.

The difficulty for Bill was that he did not feel he was getting enough motivation from the challenges his position has to contend with, nor
did he feel he had the independence to take the initiative.

This month we recount the experience of one of our users who is the human resources consultant to a medium-sized manufacturing company. The
company had not been using Extended DISC in recruitment, but is now a 100% convert! They had been using another
assessment system, which hadn’t provided the additional information available from Extended DISC Reports,
and now even more enhanced through customised FinxS reports.

All too often we are told of situations where productivity and efficiency suffers because of communication difficulties between a manager and
staff members. We have a couple of classic sets of profiles to show you in this case study that demonstrate what can happen when an oppressive
manager fails to understand the behavioural style of his/her team members.

This case study demonstrates the importance of looking at patterns and trends when producing reports for organisations. The most recent case
reminded us of a similar situation that occurred some years ago and is an example of the importance of identifying a trend to understand
the challenges being experienced by employees that might be impacting on their performance.

Comparing a Behavioural Analysis Report generated in 2004 compared with one generated in 2013

In this case study we compare the report of an academic who, when he completed his first report in 2004 was studying for his PhD, with a second
report he just obtained (2013). His role has changed significantly from student to lecturer during that time so it is interesting to compare
the two reports.

This month we recount the experience of one of our consultants who completed a training programme for a sales team of a large manufacturer
some months ago. This has lead us to reflect upon the question of the selling attributes of various behavioural styles as it is important
to understand that all styles can sell. It is a commonly held misconception that a salesman has to possess “I” characteristics to be able
to sell.

One thing that is always of interest to us is the change a frustrated individual can make in his/her behaviour once their frustration is addressed.
It is just so important that employers/managers identify frustration in an individual as soon as they can as the impact of frustration
goes beyond the person concerned and can be very disruptive in the work environment. This month’s case study explains the background and
outcome of such a situation.